By PAUL GOTHAM
GATES, N.Y. — Six years have passed since the Fairport boys’ basketball team last advanced to a sectional final.
That will change Saturday night when the sixth-seeded Red Raiders (14-9) take the court at Blue Cross Arena against No. 1 Victor (20-2).
For Scott Fitch and his squad, clinching a spot in the finals marks the end of a drought for a program that has been a perennial contender in the not too distant past.
“It’s nice to get it back and get a taste of it again,” Fitch said after Fairport’s 78-43 victory over No. 10 Edison Tech, Tuesday night. “It’s neat. I’m happy for the kids.”
Fairport will be looking to win its seventh sectional title in program history but first since 2017 when the Red Raiders capped a 12-year period in which they made eight title game appearances and won three championships all under Fitch.
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Since then the pandemic forced a shortened 2021 season. The following season, renovation of the school’s cafeteria forced the Red Raiders from their home court. Instead of basketballs bouncing on hardwood, students gathered in the Fairport High School gymnasium for lunch.
“We’re a program that has to be connected and working on everything,” Fitch said. “Covid made it even harder. It really hurt our program because we couldn’t get in gyms.”
Practices and games took place at the district’s Joanna Perrin Middle School. In effect, the Red Raiders played six home games in two seasons.
“It was definitely a struggle,” said Zac Ditzel who finished with a game-high 24 points in Tuesday’s semifinal win. “I’m not a big fan of JP Gym where we were playing.
“This year is my first real year playing there (in Fairport’s High School gymnasium) because even my JV year we didn’t have fans there, so you’re playing in front of no one. Then we were at JP and it was a condensed crowd. It was definitely nice to be back at the high school this year.”
A year ago, they bowed out of sectionals in the first round after a 75-52 loss to eventual champion Aquinas. That Red Raider team finished with a record 11 wins and 10 losses.
Fairport opened 2022-23 with four wins in its first 11 games.
“I forgot that early,” Fitch said. “Some of these kids have never played in the high school gym. There was a lot of adjustment for our guys. I feel like they came in really putting pressure on themselves to get Fairport basketball back on the map, again at that level. I think it took us a while to settle down and just play.
“Part of it was learning how to deal with the pressure. These kids have not played in the Fairport High School gymnasium.”
They suffered losses to Victor, Webster Thomas, reigning Class A1 champion Pittsford Mendon along with Penfield and Irondequoit.
“Especially after last year when we didn’t make it very far,” Ditzel said. “Definitely felt the pressure as a senior.”
Along the way, something changed. Fairport has won eight of nine games and six straight heading into Saturday’s tilt.
“Last half of the season I feel like something clicked,” Fitch said. “I feel like we’re trusting each other and figured out who we are.
“There were a lot of changes that they weren’t comfortable with, so I think there was a lot of pressure on them. Once they learned how to handle that and compartmentalize that, then our basketball level went up.”
Part of that identity is a stingy defense combined with a ball-control offense that held opponents to 53.7 points per game (third best in Class AA) during the regular season. The Red Raiders have not allowed more than 51 points during their recent stretch of six straight wins.
“Our defense is locking down right now,” Ditzel said. “We’re playing as a team. We’re playing simple.
“We’re just really prepared coming into games. We know who’s a shooter. We know who we have to get a hand up on, and we know who’s trying to drive. We’re moving as a unit right now on defense.”
Lashard Lowery takes the inside-out feed from Zac Ditzel and starts the third quarter scoring. @SecVBBasketball pic.twitter.com/j7pK0CTSLU
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 1, 2023
Faiport led 13-5 after one quarter of play Tuesday night then outscored Edison 21 to 11 over the next eight minutes to take an 18-point lead into halftime.
Sophomore LaShard Lowery accounted for seven points including a 3 to open the third-quarter scoring as Fairport pushed its advantage to 46-19 less than three minutes into the second half.
Aidan White finds Zac Ditzel on the opposite block for two. Fairport 25-11. pic.twitter.com/TBS33F2qWB
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 1, 2023
Lowery finished with 20 points. Aidan White had 15. Wallace Rahmaan (8), Landon Brunken (6), Trevor Shooshan (3) and Connor Kiel (2) rounded out the scoring for Fairport.
Donta Phommanirath hit three 3-pointers and led Edison with 10 points. Chris Taggart (6), Jearney Higdon (5), Tyler Bethea (4) and Davijon Lipscomb (3) also scored for the Inventors.
Saturday’s Class AA championship is scheduled for a 9 p.m. tipoff.
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